Apr 2 2019 — Politico — Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated on Tuesday the House will not consider President Donald Trump’s new North American trade pact until after Mexico has passed and implemented its major labor law reforms. In an interview with POLITICO Playbook, the California Democrat explained that Mexico must pass labor law reforms required under the replacement deal for NAFTA […]
Mar 8 2019 — Martin Cash — Winnipeg Free Press — With a federal election on the horizon, cabinet ministers are likely to be spotted around these parts more often than usual. To have them on the road during the current controversy in Ottawa over whether or not the Prime Minister’s Office exerted inappropriate pressure on the former-attorney general regarding the prosecution of a large Quebec […]
Jan 22 2019 — Associated Press — The Chinese government has granted Ivanka Trump’s company preliminary approval for another five trademarks this month, as her father’s administration pushes ahead on trade negotiations with China.
Nov 21 2018 — The Canadian Press — A group of U.S. senators is pushing President Donald Trump to fast-track the final text of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement so Congress can vote on it before the end of the year. The 12 Republican senators, including Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander and outgoing Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, warn that getting the trade […]
Oct 29 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Biggest of WTO’s many problems is in its Appellate Body. OTTAWA–Ministers and senior officials from Canada and 12 other countries found enough common ground for reforming the World Trade Organization during two days of talks in Ottawa in late October to continue the discussions in January. However they concluded their first meeting with a […]
Oct 21 2018 — Andrew McDougall — The Conversation — Now that the threat of the NAFTA-pocalypse has lifted for Canada, the Monday morning quarter-backing is well under way on whether the new United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Agreement is better or worse than trade pact that preceded it. But beyond the negative headlines, the USMCA probably leaves Canada stronger than it was going into the negotiations […]
Sep 25 2018 — Daniel Dale — Toronto Star — The Trump administration will continue trade negotiations with Canada even if there is no deal by the U.S.-imposed deadline of this weekend, President Donald Trump’s top trade official said Tuesday. In a largely pessimistic public appearance, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Canada is “running out of time” to sign on to a trade deal […]
Sep 25 2018 — The Hill — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Tuesday cast doubt on the prospects of the U.S. and Mexico reaching a deal with Canada on an updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the Sunday deadline. “The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they’re essential,” Lighthizer told the Concordia Summit […]
Sep 18 2018 — The Canadian Press — Republicans in the U.S. Congress are ratcheting up pressure on Canada to get a deal done on the North American Free Trade Agreement. House of Representatives majority whip Steve Scalise, who represents the state of Louisiana, delivered a stern warning Tuesday about “growing frustration” in Congress with what he calls Canada’s “negotiating tactics.” In a […]
Sep 12 2018 — Associated Press — Canadian negotiators are travelling to brief Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in person on the state of negotiations with the United States on a deal that would allow Canada to remain in a North American trade bloc. Canada’s envoy — Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland — left a meeting with U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer Tuesday […]
Sep 12 2018 — Politico — One of the world’s most stable partnerships will undergo a historic stress test over the coming days, pulled to the brink by differences involving cheese, court systems and political egos.
Sep 10 2018 — The Canadian Press — Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will return to Washington on Tuesday to resume negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Freeland and her counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, left the bargaining table Friday without a deal. The two sides have so far been unable to resolve key differences over U.S. access to the […]
Aug 29 2018 — The Canadian Press — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Trump administration Wednesday of setting its sights on dismantling Canada’s supply management system. And he vowed that Canada won’t buckle on the issue at the NAFTA talks. The vexing question of greater U.S. access to the Canada’s protected dairy sector is now pivotal as the NAFTA negotiations in Washington […]
Aug 29 2018 — Montreal Gazette — “Just watch me,” said Quebec Liberal leader Philippe Couillard on Wednesday morning when asked what he would do if Canada decides to allow concessions on its supply-management policies for dairy farmers in trade negotiations with the United States. The incumbent premier was evoking the words of former Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau to a journalist […]
Aug 29 2018 — The Canadian Press — Dominic LeBlanc, the new minister responsible for intergovernmental affairs, says the federal government is not anticipating any resistance from provinces in identifying and reducing trade barriers between provinces. LeBlanc says he has met with a number of premiers, but not all, and his sense is that there will not be much pushback to reducing barriers, […]